Cathe Live: High Intensity Aerobic Weight Training w/ Step

I love this workout! What an awesome workout! A total body cardio + strength workout. Cathe set it up in 7 rounds. Each rounds starts with a cardio move on a 10 inch step then moves into strength work–some of it upper body, some of it lower body, some of it combines upper and lower body and some of it is metabolic. Your heart rate stays elevated throughout the entire workout. Fun, tough, effective. She has nothing like this that I am aware of on DVD. I will definitely be returning to it. These live workouts are treasures. I am so glad I finally subscribed. I could honestly do nothing else but these live workouts every single day. Which is kind of problematic. ICE arrived today. I told myself when it arrived I would start it the Monday after it arrived (today is Saturday) but I have already chosen the Live workouts I plan to do next week, plus it’s Christmas week… so I decided to stick with my plan and do Cathe Live next week and start ICE on 12/28/15. I want to do my Cathe Lives!

Here is how Cathe describes this class: This class is all about total body conditioning through high intensity movement. Expect to move randomly & efficiently with moderate to heavy weights. Some moves are cardio, some moves are lower body, some moves are upper body and some moves are compound. Cathe posted a video clip of this workout on her forum.

Recommended equipment: A standard step at 8 or 10 inches (Cathe’s was at 10 and so was mine), dumbbells in 8, 10, 12 and 15 pounds and a mat. I matched Cathe for most weights and went a little heavier sometimes. This was an awesome workout as is, but in the future, increasing my weight for many of the exercises will make it an even better workout. Below, I will note what weight Cathe uses, if I used a different weight I will note that, and, finally, since this blog is for my own reference, I will also note when I can go heavier in the future.

High Intensity Aerobic Weight Training w/ Step is 56 minutes long; 6 minute warm up and 3 minute stretch. It aired live on 7/23/15.

Round 1:

1. Step knee up w/ tap down 6x, then 3 power 3s; alternate sides;
2. Lateral plie walk 4x to each side w/ 10# DB;
3. Front swings (kettlebell move) w/ two 8# DB (in the future I will just use one 20# DB);
4. With one foot on side of step, do squat w/ leg abduction and one arm upright row w/ 8#DB (I will use 10# or 12# DB in the future);

Round 2:

1. 3 knee repeaters on step, alternating sides–do this two times; change to 1 knee up/elbow to knee and two outer thigh lifts, alternate sides–do this 4 times each side; return to 3 repeaters on step, alternating sides–2 times;
2. Curtsy lunges off step w/ 8# DB (I will 10# in the future);
3. 10 rear delt flies w/ 10# DB alternated with tricep dips off step (lots of reps but it varies each time you do it, anywhere from 20+ to 16)–repeat 3 times;
4. Place one foot on step, reverse lunge and raise knee while also doing one arm overhead press (same side arm as foot on step); 8# DB (I will use 10# in the future);

Round 3:

1. Up jack/down jack on step alternated w/ power 3s; end with lots of power 3s;
2. Squats w/ 15# DB, 32 reps (I will use 20# in the future);
3. Bicep curls, 4 to a 2/2 count then hold halfway up and turn to each side (while holding DBs isometrically) for 4 counts each side, when facing front again do 4 more bicep curls to 2/2 count; 15# DB;
4. Repeat #3 w/ 12# DB;
5. Reverse lunges w/ hammer curls, Cathe uses 8# DB, I used 10# DB but I will use 12# DB in the future;

Round 4:

1. Straddle jumps off step;
2. Elevated lunges (static lunges w/ back foot on step); 15# DB (one leg is worked more than other leg so account for that in the future, either do more the first set, or stop early the second set–for the first leg: 4 singles then pulse 7 twice; do this series 2x and end w/ 4 singles; for the second leg: 4 singles then pulse 7 twice; do this series 3x and end w/ 4 singles);
3. Push ups w/ hands on step; 3 sets of 10 reps;
4. One arm squat and snatch, bringing DB overhead; Cathe does 8 reps each arm w/ 8# DB (I used 10# DB), 6 reps each arm w/ 10# DB (I used 12# DB) and 8 reps each arm 12# DB (I used 15# DB);

Round 5:

1. Lateral jumps over step–the length of the step; so you will come to the end of the step, put one foot on step, pulse squat, then jump/step over length of step to other side, pulse squat and jump/step back;
2. Walking lunges w/ 8# DB (I will use 10# in the future); 3 walking lunges and with each lunge pulse 4 times, pivot into plie and pulse down 4x in plie, then do 3 walking/pulsing lunges back in the other direction;
3. Alternating lateral raises w/ 8# DB (in the future I will use 10# DB);
4. Bent arm lateral raises; for each raise you will step onto step and raise one knee, alternating knees (but two arm raise each time), 8# DB;

Round 6:

1. Uneven lunges over the width of the step w/ swim arms;
2. Static lunges, 16 reps then pulse 7x w/ 15# DB (I will use 20# in the future);
3. 3 hammer curls, overhead press, 3 overhead tricep extensions w/ 10# DB (in the future I will use 12# DB);
4. Sumo squats w/ upright rows, 21 reps w/ 12# DB;

Round 7:

1. 10 burpees on step;
2. Single leg deadlift, 12 reps each leg w/ 15# DB (I will use 20#DB in the future);
3. 12 push ups on floor, alternate raising one arm at top of push up; next is push ups to slower counts–4 count down, 2 count up, 2 count down, 4 count up; do the slower count series 2x;
4. Side lunge w/ 10# DB, at top of lunge raise knee and do single arm overhead press; 12 reps each side (I will use 12# DB in the future).